Mini Swoon ** Finish **

I have seen so many lovely pictures of Thimble Blossoms Swoon quilt pattern that I just had to make one. But I really didn't want to commit to another big quilt just yet! So the mini swoon seemed ideal!

Swoon blocks

I found an online shop that had some Scrumptious fabrics available still and just knew that's what I wanted. The blocks finish at 8" which is a super cute size. 

They can be a bit tricky getting the points to line up perfectly (and I do like perfection!) but I conceded in the end to stop unpicking and live with them as close as they were. I was enjoying making these blocks and had plenty of fabric to make some more. 

After finishing the 5th block I remembered why I had started making the mini version of this quilt. I didn't want another big project on the go when I was supposed to be finishing the Mario quilt! This was supposed to be a quick fix project! Not like me to get carried away!! Hehe!

So I stuck with the pattern and used the four blocks I liked the most and constructed the top.

I had some small scraps of fabric left over from making the front so I pieced them together to make a strip. I added some Kona pond that matched the scrumptious aqua really nicely to make the back the right size. I forgot to take a picture of the back before quilting it. But here it is quilted.

Mini swoon quilt back

I went with straight line quilting on the diagonal about 0.75" apart. Having done those I decided to do some narrower lines but only in a small section. I need to practice straight-line quilting, my lines are not always very straight or evenly spaced! But I like it!

Finally, I put on my free motion foot and did some freehand straight-lines in the triangles that had formed on the edges.

And here finally, the finished quilt.

Mini Swoon Quilt front

Making all the triangles in these blocks creates a lot of tiny scrap triangles. I am not very good at throwing fabric away but I am seriously wondering if it is worth keeping these tiny bits! Perhaps I'll put them in a tub for now and see!

Quilt Stats:

Pattern: Thimble blossoms Mini Swoon

Size: 19" x 19" 

Fabrics: Kona white, Kona pond, selection of Moda Scrumptious

Stared: April 2014

Finished: May 2014

Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2014

It's the Bloggers Quilt Festival again. Welcome, new and old viewers. 

I have just finished a small wall hanging for my son whose birthday it is very soon. I am still trying to finish quilting his bed quilt, so I can't enter that one this time!! The Boy is very much into Pokemon at the moment. I am amazed that this craze is still going around! I decided to make him something small to hang on the wall beside his bed.

I found a paper pieced pattern of Pikachu at Fandom In Stitches which came together relatively easily. 

Although, I had just taken a picture of the finished block when I noticed I had used the wrong colour in a place that mattered and gave poor Pikachu an extra pointy face. 

I couldn't live with this so it was soon corrected!

Paper Pieced Pikachu

I appliquéd the Pokemon title on to the top border and topstitched it down too, just in case it gets pulled around. I also appliquéd 3 pokeballs along the bottom. A pokeball is (I believe) the place you store your Pokemon (pocket monster, for those not in the know!). The 3 pokeballs I used were the poke ball, the friend ball and the premier ball.

He needed some features adding, like maybe some arms and a nose and mouth.   I also outlined him in black to give him more definition. I enjoyed this bit, like finishing off the character.

The rest of it is quite simply quilted with a little bit of echo quilting around the features and then lightning strikes down the side borders because he is an electric-type Pokemon and can store electricity in his cheeks and release it in lightning-based attacks, apparently! This is about as much as I know, and want to know, about Pokemon. Although, I am currently planning a Pokemon party for the birthday boy so I might have to gain a bit more knowledge to keep up with the 8 year old boys.

Here is the final wall hanging. Hoping it goes down well with the birthday boy.

Final Pikachu wall hanging

There will be lots of great quilts on display in the Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side so do go take a look at them.



Quilt Stats:
Fabric: A variety of Kona solids
Size: 17.5" x 13.75" (? oh well!)
Started: 6 May 2014
Finished: 12 May 2014